Re: Last train west of Pullman
Author: Dilbert
Date: 09-03-2010 - 12:56
Thanks for the heads up Stan. Last time I talked to the state, they said DOT has no money for any of the eastern Washington freight lines, rail focus is to be on Obama's High Speed Plan between Portland and Seattle, however, state of Washington Parks and Recreation and Department of Natural Resources has lots of money and would be willing to spend many times what it would cost to reopen and rehab the Colfax to Pullman line to convert it to a trail. Tax dollars from your right pocket can't be moved to the left pocket and "has to be spent" from the pocket it came from, no sharing. Even with the so called across the board budget cutting, some departments are still rather flush with money. (BTW, Washington Parks got a new revenue stream last year when they added $5.00 automaticly to your car tabs so you get to pay it unless you see the little opt out box, they found that people wouldn't check the box when it was something you had to opt into, but enough people don't read the details and will pay the whole amount which is why they changed it--making nice cash flow for the state parks department. Although last years cash "crisis" allowed the state parks department to unload several parks it didn't want anyway.)